Morocco’ historic qualification to the semi final of the 2022 FIFA World Cup deserve all the headlines it’s making on the continent and beyond.
And it’s my fervent hope that they make it to the final to consolidate the importance of proper investment into the game.
This has, however, erupted several reactions from many who juxtapose the Moroccan story to what is happening in Ghana.
There is absolutely no problem if u factually situate the two countries and question why such investments are not done in our circles.
But as you read this, I just want u to be very careful because the lies that will erupt from commentaries on social media will be mind blowing.
Some will tell you the Moroccan FA used FIFA Forward Money to put up the Mohammed IV Football Center which has become the talk of the continent.
Don’t believe them. It’s one of the lies.
The center was established by the Moroccan government to the tune of $65.4m.
It was a sole project by the Moroccan government and not the FA’s. The Moroccan government saw the need to invest in football by first building infrastructure and sourcing technical support from FIFA and CAF to develop their talent and that has brought them this far.
Of course, we can do same if we want but let no one lie to u that the FA can single-handedly fund this project.
As a country, we invest $400m in the importation of tomatoes alone. Tomatoes 🍅 oooooo. Let the government give just $100m of that to the FA and see the miracle Ghana will do in the next 10 years.
I have seen many people posting photos of the Moroccan facility and the Ghanaman Soccer Center of Excellence in Prampram, drawing conclusions that our FA should have done same.
No yawa if anyone calls for such good practices to be emulated here in this country. But let’s channel the energy off telling lies that the Moroccan project was done with FIFA money into convincing our governments to believe in football as a project to start similar projects.
We can do it, and trust me, we even have the potential of doing better than Morocco with the talent we have but it cannot be done by the FA considering the amount of money involved.
I was in Morocco last year. I visited the facility, I toured it and I know all the behind the scene stories most of the liars don’t know.
Let’s eschew football politics and convince our governments to see football as a poverty alleviation tool and we will all be laughing in the end.
Ahaa, lest I forget, Fouzi Lekjaa, the President of the Moroccan FA is the Minister Delegate to the Minister of Finance of Morocco and responsible for the country’s budget.
Sika no nyinaa, he decides what to do with it! 😂
We’ll get t there if …
Source:Sheik Tophic Abdul-Kadir Sienu
